Dream Weaver
by lilpurplebird
Summary: Dreams bring out the heart's secret desires. Dreams make them come true for a short while. A brief reunion between old friends does just that. - WizGato
I don't remember how I got this idea, I just know I was looking through the list of dream tropes and found myself going back to "Talking in Your Dreams" and thinking, "Let's see if I can make that work." *shrugs* So yeah, that was the foundation. Even then, I just wanted to write something. I didn't particularly mind what it was even though it took a month to finish because I got stuck, so if I had any other scenes in mind, I forgot them/didn't feel like putting them in. Not entirely proud of it, but it's something.

Hope you'll enjoy.

* * *

"I'm going to be home late tonight, Gatomon," Kari apologized over the phone.

The feline smiled knowingly, whiskers twitching. "That's fine, I had a feeling that was the case," she waved it off, a routine at this point. Her tail went from swaying in lazy loops to sweeping the floor as she spoke, "But I thought you went out to dinner with your co-workers just two nights ago?"

"That was just _dinner_ ," was the correction. "I promise I'm not going to drink too much, just a glass."

Gatomon twisted her lip, casting a glance over at the clock. The big hand ticked on the number three for a quarter-after-seven. "You know how I feel about that stuff," she muttered, eyes half-lidded.

"It's not like I bring it home," the woman giggled. "But please don't worry. I have a key, so go ahead and lock up."

"Way ahead of you." She kicked the step stool over to do so. "Just be careful, Kari."

"Take any calls for me."

"Sure thing. And I'm recording your shows for you, by the way."

"Oh, thanks, Gatomon!" Silence then fell on the other line with exception of rambunctious laughter from someone in the background. Gatomon's smile grew sad within that moment. "I'll make it up to you," then came her soft tone. "Just say the word, and we'll do whatever you want."

Her unoccupied ear drooping, she didn't have to think about it to provide an answer. "Work and schooling's more important right now. I don't mind keeping house for you."

If she was there, Kari could've hugged her. "Well... have a good night, Gatomon. I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night."

The connection clicked, and with a sigh, Gatomon hung up the phone and went about her way. Once she was certain the windows and balcony door were secure, she fixed herself some dinner from what she fished out of the fridge, humming listlessly to herself all the meanwhile. The television was nothing but background noise, currently flipped on a police drama that she didn't care for (but it was one of Kari's favorite shows, so she put up with it), which allowed her to drift in a daze while the meat sizzled.

Life was slow ever since the DigiDestined of Light had attended school to be a kindergarten teacher, and had gotten a part-time job to pay rent and utility for the small apartment. Not that the Digital World wasn't any better, but Gatomon had taken up her offer of staying with her, something that stuck partly out of habit, and partly because it _was_ rumored there was a creeper in the area when she had first moved in. The only reason for staying there was it being the cheapest apartment closest to the school—in the next prefecture over.

Why Kari felt she had to live in such "humble conditions" (as she had called it), the Digimon didn't know. Supposedly, she was scheduled to finish up her schooling within the year and had applied for an internship, and she had saved up enough to move into a better building if she wanted. Humans were weird; Digimon didn't have to put up with all that "responsibility" if they didn't want to.

Too bad boredom had to be a powerful motivator.

Gatomon didn't mind living with Kari while she was in an important stage of her life. At the very least, she was guaranteed to be there for her to talk to regularly, and she loved her enough to be supportive for each night she crammed. Keeping house had helped lessen the burden, and since she would occasionally go for walks around town, it wasn't like she was stuck at home doing nothing. But even that was getting dull.

Munching on her Hamburg steak with her head propped, the feline stared blankly at the television as two characters (whoever they were, she didn't bother to learn their names) shared a passionate embrace against a wall. "And Kari says I'm crazy for not liking this show," she mumbled to no one. She eyed the LED light on the DVR, huffing a little. "Not looking forward to the marathon..."

With nothing else to do afterwards, and not wanting to stay up too late waiting for Kari to return, Gatomon tidied up the kitchen and room, took a bath, and turned in, all before nine. As she lay by the pillows, she stared up at the moon peeking through the clouds, drinking in its rays. The strain it caused in her vision was soothing, almost as if it was hypnotizing her. Taking off her glove, she held her paw up for a silhouette, then waved and twisted it about, her gaze returning to the scar. Even many years later, it still burned an angry red.

Beyond the walls, she could hear the muffled giggling of a neighbor with mumbling from a second voice she couldn't make out, along with the fumbling of keys and a door opening. Drawing the curtains shut, she rolled over and hugged the top pillow, breathing in Kari's scent. As it was not enough to lull her to sleep, she once again let her mind wander, dwelling on anything that came to her. Her partner, naturally, was the first she thought of, wondering what she was up to at that moment, if she was already on the train home or was losing track of time chatting with a co-worker. Then it transitioned to the days when she was a teenager, wearing a gentle smile on her face as she twirled about in a sundress while eating her favorite ice cream. And from there, she thought back even further to her childhood, always in good cheer, snapping pictures of anything that caught her eye, and being the light of her life.

Gatomon would be lying if she had said she was completely happy watching her grow up; it was interesting to see over the years how much she changed, but life became more demanding. At the very least, whereas the other Digimon seemed to be left out of the loop about their own partners' growths, she understood it was the norm. She had always felt Kari was slowly moving on, and yet, she was like the second mother who hadn't "cut the cord", as the human saying went. She insisted it was more out of protection than shielding, although she was _still_ shaken up that her partner was going on these "dates" with people she hadn't personally met, but could smell on her.

 _I **still** can't believe she grew up so fast_ , she mused to herself, a sigh on her lips. _But so had I._

Gatomon became flustered by the squealing next door, more from annoyance than not. It wasn't anything new, it occasionally happened at night around the same time, though Kari was usually either studying or they were watching television, so it was hardly noticeable. She only knew of it because of her sharp hearing, but she hadn't brought it up as she wasn't sure if it was rude. Still, she hadn't been ignorant about what was going on, it was just dwelling on it brought up... _interesting_ thoughts.

Flipping over to stare at the wall and flatten the pillow to her ear, she forced herself to keep thinking back on old memories of Kari. It didn't take long to think back on their first meeting, of her suspicions and orders to kill her as the Eighth Child. It still haunted her just how _close_ she was to following through on it. Out of everything she had come to regret over the years, nothing was more disturbing than that crossroad, and it still remained the most poignant. It was more disturbing than Myotismon's torturing, more unnerving than his laughter as he gleefully spilled her blood. She had come to terms with her past, having matured for the better as it faded into her subconscious.

Even the memory of _him_ was beginning to blur. She never could forget him, Gatomon always reminded herself, yet his face and his voice had steadily grown muted from her blended memories. The thought of him still brought a twinge of nostalgia and peace, so while it wasn't like she didn't remember what he was like, his passing just meant he was nothing more than a remnant of a dark past. If she still dreamed of him, he was forgotten in the morning.

"Damn scars," she hissed under her breath, her figure tensing. "Damn neighbors... Damn time... Damn humans..."

Her heart ached, and her temples throbbed from her fighting back her emotions. She was better than to cry over trivial matters. She wasn't a weak, frightened little kitten anymore. Kari still needed protecting, and she can't protect her if she's not strong. Even when alone in a dark apartment, she couldn't give in.

"— _ah-AHH!_ "

Gatomon abruptly chucked the pillows at the wall. "Shut up!" she yelled, her fur standing on end. "Take it somewhere else! No one wants to hear your yowling!"

She must have startled them, but she didn't care as long as it got something out of her system. Huffing through her nose, she curled up into a tight ball under the covers and pinned down her ears. Eventually, now alone to her thoughts, she calmed down, no longer quaking from a sudden chill and no longer reminiscing on anything sad or angry.

It was just her. Alone, but without care.

The next thing she knew, she was blinking up at the ceiling, her senses refocusing on the world enough to feel a breeze. Scowling, she covered her eyes with her forearm, already awake but not wanting to get out of bed. It still felt a little too soon for the sun to already be up.

"Time's it?" she mumbled, craning her neck for a better look at the clock. Pushing herself up, a sudden tingling chill unrelated to the air ran through her figure and caused her to collapse where she clawed at the covers. As if her body was full of lead, she could scarcely sit up, let alone lift her head as her vision spun each time tried to look around.

There was a gentle push to her shoulder along with a wet washcloth on her forehead, a rivulet of water trickling down her neck. Shivering, she managed to glance up and peer past the blur. "Hey..." she weakly, yet grumpily protested.

"Lie back down, Gatomon," was the soft, weary instruction.

"Wizardmon..." She managed a leer at her friend, then swallowed down a lump. "...what're you doing here?"

"You collapsed, so I had to carry you here."

The feline quizzically tilted her head. "Eh?"

"You should know better than to exert yourself like this," he continued, clearly disappointed. He swiped back his bangs as he reached out to grab a pitcher of water. "You're going to make yourself sick again."

She had the vaguest recollection of being outside, or at least someplace with a lot of heat, but it was fuzzy. "I don't... get sick," was all she could mumble, agitated at herself that she couldn't remember.

"My handiwork says otherwise." He held out the glass, which she grabbed for a few sips. "So, how're you feeling?"

"Like shit," she huffed, rubbing at her eyes. "I don't know what's going on anymore..."

Wizardmon appeared saddened by her answer, but his voice didn't betray him if he was. "I take it Etemon didn't make up his mind, yet."

"The hell does that bastard want, anyway?" she sniffed, taking another sip. "He's wasting precious time and space Myotismon should be using elsewhere."

He sat back with a low sigh, tugging at his cowl. "I could've talked to him. Maybe then we wouldn't be here recovering."

Gatomon looked around at last, noticing how small the room was with the only other furniture being a desk and bureau in a corner. There was the hint of sawdust in the air, certainly better than the castle's own polluted air, but she still sneezed from it upon recognition. Turning to the window, she looked out at an old town, stuck in the middle of the Server Desert.

"How long was I out for?"

"A couple of hours. This place is a ghost town, but it was better than nothing."

Gatomon clutched her chest from a hollow drop, her fur bristling and brows knitting. "That... that doesn't sound right..."

The mage leaned in. "Are you alright, Gatomon?"

She stared at him, unsure what the wavering was that suddenly crossed her vision. "I... I'm just..." She averted her gaze and downed another sip, ears lowering. "Just imagining things..."

He hummed under his breath. "It could be something you ate."

A brow rose in thought. "And it finally caught up to me, eh?" she played along, not remembering what she had last ingested. Usually, if it was her and Wizardmon on the road, he prepared the meals, some of which were the best she ever had. If something wasn't sitting well with her, she must have eaten elsewhere. Maybe Etemon had offered her whatever was in his trailer.

He chuckled briefly. "I thought you didn't cook it that well anyway."

"Excuse _me_ for not being good in the—" Gatomon paused and turned to him again, scowling in suspicion. "Wait a minute... I didn't cook anything."

The hat's shade slanting across his face, Wizardmon lay his hand on her head, then slid it to cover her eyes. She dropped everything to grab him with a gasp, feeling as if she was falling away, but came to a soft landing on her feet. The aroma of flowers and grass on the wind stung her senses, albeit it was more pleasant than dust, so she deeply breathed in. As soon as he pulled away, she looked up at the clouds in time to see two butterflies orbiting around one-another as they climbed into the sky.

Swerving around, Gatomon gaped at the magician, tearing up at the twinkle in his eye that certainly wasn't there a moment ago. "How is it, Gatomon?" he inquired, strength in his voice.

She just shook her head and leapt for a squeeze around the middle. Her thoughts caught up to her instinctual reflex, that single blip of fear he wasn't tangible briefly registered in her mind before everything else overrode it when he hugged her back. Ghosts couldn't be held, after all.

"It's wonderful," she purred into him, snuggling closer. "I missed you, old friend..."

He laughed, a sensation she didn't realize she had missed. "Well, so much for _that_ trip down memory lane."

She looked up at him, still smiling, but now curious. "What do you mean, Wizardmon?"

"You were dreaming of an old memory until I went off script."

His statement made even less sense. "Huh?"

Once she slipped off to stand by his side, he waved his staff before them so the scenery rippled, yet didn't change. "Dreams are like water. They're ever-flowing, never in the same place longer than it needs to."

Gatomon shivered as it sank in. It was too good to be true; there had to have been a catch after all. "So if I wake up now..."

He ruffled the fur on her head. "If you tell yourself that, you'll wake up prematurely."

She frowned at his gesture and words, still not understanding what he meant. "Why're you here, Wizardmon?" she couldn't help asking, taking a swipe at him.

He smiled, appearing unperturbed about their situation. "I came by for a small chat."

While she believed him, she still shook her head in disagreement. "That can't be it. There's something big going on, isn't there?"

"Nothing of the sort. I just thought I'd give you some company for a little bit."

Gatomon tensed. "While I'm _asleep_?"

Wizardmon shrugged nonchalantly, knowingly. "It's the only other way for us to talk face-to-face."

Her ears went limp, and she stepped away. "So why now? I thought you had moved on..."

The corners of his mouth peeked out of his cowl as he rubbed the back of his neck. "The afterlife is a little more complicated than that, I'm afraid."

She wrapped her arms around herself. Him talking about his death so freely without sobriety strangely made her uncomfortable. "Why are you just _now_ visiting me, Wizardmon?" she amended.

He was silent for a few moments before he swept her up. Upon doing so, they climbed high into the air, not so much as flying as they were twirling from the launch. Gatomon stiffened as she clung on, shutting her eyes to avoid glancing down.

His mirth at her cowering in his hold brought her to scowl. "Don't _do_ that!" she hissed, peeking up at him. "Warn me next time!"

"That's why I did it," he said, smirking. "You wouldn't have let me done it."

She huffed, nearly smacking him when he took her by the paw and wrapped his other arm around her. The staff dug into her back, which only further made her agitated. "What're you doing?"

"I thought it'd be fun to have a midair dance."

Gatomon flustered, keeping her eyes squinted. "That... that's _stupid_."

Wizardmon grinned. "How so?"

"Well... what's the point in dancing in midair?" she attempted to argue. "You're not moving your legs, so you're just going to move back-and-forth, like _swish_ , _swoosh_ ," she rocked side-to-side as if to prove her point, "and all that. It's stupid."

He quirked a brow. "Oh? So you're an expert on dancing?"

She balled up a fist. "N-No! I just—I've never felt the need to dance on air."

"That's a figure of speech, Gatomon."

Her jaw locked up for a second. "S-So?! That means it shouldn't be taken literally!"

He hoisted her up higher to better make eye-contact, his crooked smile visible. Gatomon was tempted to headbutt him between the eyes to push herself out of his hold, but with the way he kept a good grip on her and got her stance to straighten, he was intent on her staying. With no choice but to humor him, she rested her unoccupied paw on his shoulder, her gaze still stern. Looking pleased with himself, the digital wizard swayed about where he levitated, having full control of the dance. Her tail circled stiffly behind her, the ring catching in the hazy sunlight.

As if carried in by the wind, music filled her ears, giving her a good idea of what it was he was moving to. The louder it got, the more she found herself becoming lost to the flow as if she was entranced. With a long spin, the scenery changed accordingly to a ballroom, the two the only pair in the faceless crowd who were lit up as if showcased in a spotlight.

It had jolted Gatomon out of the magic enough she remembered she was supposed to be glowering. "Really," was her deadpan reply, her claws lightly digging into his mantle.

Wizardmon smiled mischievously. "I wasn't the one who came up with this."

Twisting her lip, she bitingly quipped, "I'm not dressed for the part."

His eyes drifted downward briefly. "I beg to differ."

She suddenly felt a little itchy, and it was a little hard to breathe, but the longer she scanned the frilly, sparkly silver dress hugging her, the more she came to accept it. It helped it _was_ pretty, one of the nicest gowns she had ever seen. Returning to her friend, she blinked at his neat attire: his straw-colored hair tied up at the nape (he still couldn't tame that cowlick), his cloak flowing with every spin, him donning most formal, colorful suit she could swear was in a movie she had seen once. The most surprising, however, was his unmasked face, stitched lips in a wide smile as his emerald eyes sparkled in admiration.

Gatomon realized she was ogling and glanced away in humility. Chuckling, the mage transitioned them into a fast-paced waltz with the gradual crescendo, still leading. Her breath caught once their gazes locked again, and their surroundings were a blur. Swept up by the music, he dipped and weaved to the right notes, even once lifting her for a whirl. She couldn't help a smile at how lively he was, as if the moment came naturally.

It was truly a shame she had to remember it was a dream, that it wasn't happening in real time.

"Why?" she breathed out.

"Because we've never been able to share a mutual dance," he responded with an answer she already knew. His tone was so soft, though, she had to lean in closer to hear him above the violins. "And to one of my favorite pieces of music, as well."

Gatomon frowned, shaking her head. "Not that. I'm not questioning what we're doing."

"Well, I hope so. At least I know you don't _hate_ it."

She ignored the ache in her chest when their foreheads touched. Such a gesture wasn't something she had expected, sending her thoughts for a spin. "No... I don't hate what you do, Wiz." It took a moment before it hit her that she let his nickname slip, her eyes widening with a gasp on her lips.

Wizardmon's smile didn't falter as he pressed his cheek to hers. "I'm glad it hasn't been in vain," he whispered in her ear, his fingers lacing between her claws. "It's going just as I had hoped it would."

It felt as if static electricity ran through her body as he briefly flickered. She immediately, almost reflexively, wrapped her arms around him, all the while fighting back tears pricking her eyes. "What was that?" she queried, voice growing tight. "Wizardmon, i-is this...?"

His fingers snagged the fur at her scruff, still keeping rhythm with the music. "Don't let it get to you, Gatomon," he said—no, implored. "Just relax, and enjoy yourself."

Shaking her head, she pulled away, her stomach clenching at the dull gleam in his eyes. "Why're you dodging my questions, Wizardmon?" she urged.

Without trying to be subtle, he gave her a disjointed smile. "Beautiful weather we've been having, don't you think?" he attempted to divert with a sigh.

Gritting her teeth, she pushed herself out of his hold, nearly losing her balance until she shook off the dizziness. Gripping the skirts off the floor, the feline bored her stare into him before turning to push through the crowd, figures dispersing like fog to reveal a large open door. Hurrying over, she stepped over the threshold to find herself on the outskirts of the town from before—perhaps—a campfire already burning. Wizardmon was tending to it, redressed in his usual attire.

"Welcome back," he teased, or so she interpreted.

While glad to be out of the dress, Gatomon gave herself a headache trying to find the door and comprehend the sudden scene change. "Are you _serious_?" she scoffed.

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

"Looking for _what_?" she snapped, fists on her hips. "Stop making shit up, Wizardmon! I demand answers!"

"What is there to explain?" he noted in a matter-of-fact tone, his hat's shadow darkening half of his face.

She spread out her arms. "All of this! The old town, the flower field, the dance... What's the point to it?!"

"You tell me. Perhaps you need more sleep."

Flashing a fang, she kicked at a rock where it hit the palm tree with enough force to topple it over. Wizardmon gave an impressed whistle, but it only further irritated her. "What is _wrong_ with you?!" she hissed, feeling like pulling out her fur and even punching him in the face. "Why are you doing this to me?! Do you think this is funny?!"

The sorcerer's expression sobered. "What do you mean, Gatomon?"

She nearly crumbled under her own weight, her voice on the verge of breaking. "I'm _tired_ , _that's_ what I mean! I'm tired of feeling so useless! I'm tired of being left behind! I just..." Gatomon ran her paws up her face as her lips quivered. "I want to _sleep_ , that's all! I want to put it all behind me!"

Her friend bowed his head, though she couldn't tell what for with his eyes hidden. "I'm sorry for disturbing you," he said, quietly. "I misread you."

Her ears perked up, unsure if she heard right. "You what?"

When he glanced up, she slumped at the grave, apologetic stare. "I thought this was a good time to talk, but I wanted to ease you into it. I should've realized you felt otherwise."

It was as if a gap opened between them, swallowing them into darkness. As she gaped, light orbs dotted into existence, leaving them suspended in space. "A talk... is all," she echoed in a hushed voice.

Wizardmon nodded, looking out into the void. "Just like old times, or so I had hoped."

Taking a breath and glancing around, Gatomon reached out just for her claws to brush against the lights. At the touch, they floated and flickered about in a movement similar to that of fireflies. Captivated, she watched them where she stood before timidly trying again, hovering her paws around a small handful. The orbs softly pulsated, steadily emitting a warmth that passed through her skin and bones. What she thought would bring a smile to her face instead saddened her.

"What's there to talk about, honestly?" she started out. "I left the past behind a long time ago."

His laugh was a puff of breath with little emotion. "You got me there."

The feline's face fell as she lifted her eyes back up to him. "I never forgot you, Wizardmon," she assured him. "I just needed to... well..." Her voice caught in her throat, unable to finish the thought.

His eyes fell closed. "That's more than I could ever ask for."

It struck a chord in her that was more frightening than relieving. "Did you _want_ me to forget?"

His stare was distant when he turned to her. "If it was for your benefit, I wouldn't have minded."

"But _I_ would've."

"I know you'll never forget, Gatomon." Wizardmon smoothed out the hat's rim as he sighed. "It has, at the very least, kept me here."

She froze at how he rippled in-and-out of existence for a moment, a distressed thought coming to mind. "You're not disappearing... are you?"

He looked down at himself as a few light orbs passed through his hands. "I'm not native to this world," he said, somber. "At some point, I _will_ cease to exist."

"No!" she cried out, stepping closer. "That's awful!"

The corners of his mouth were visible for a moment before he looked away. "Such is life that things come and go. It will all be just a dream."

Shaking her head, Gatomon stormed through the wall of lights to roughly grab him around the middle. "It's not _fair_ , Wizardmon!" she spat out. "I don't _want_ to forget you! It's just too cruel!"

"Unfortunately, memories are fleeting. It was inevitable you'd begin to forget my face."

She flinched and leered up at him. "You could've visited me all this time, right?! So why hadn't you done so?!"

His hands remained at his sides, a hesitation she hadn't expected from him. "It's not that I _haven't_ ," he corrected, "it's that I _couldn't_."

"Why's that?"

He looked upon her with such a pained expression, she had to match it. "Because you looked so peaceful when you slept."

Gatomon backed up in surprise. "I... what?"

Slowly but surely, the lights were flickering out the further they drifted from them. Wizardmon gripped the staff tightly before he let it hang from his fingers. "I've put limits on myself over the years since it wasn't my real intention, but I've checked up on you. I just couldn't bring myself to manifest in your dreams once I knew you no longer needed me in your life."

The tiny Champion's insides chilled over. "That... I don't understand."

"I _have_ visited you, Gatomon," he emphasized, his eyes sharpened. "Just because you could no longer see me didn't mean I wasn't _there_."

She shivered at his harsh tone. "No, I believe you," she muttered, feeling a lump rise in her throat. "But what I don't get is... you couldn't do anything?"

Wizardmon averted his gaze, running a hand through his bangs. "When you began staying in the human world, I had left my place of rest to check up on you one night. I had meant for it to be the last time I would see you, thinking I would be able to move on if I did. I was only there to tell you everything was all right, that I'm proud of you... that I'm happy for you..." He paused to hang his head and briefly cover his face, his shoulders hunching. "Then I looked upon you where you slept, curled up in Kari's arms. And I couldn't take that moment away from you."

The last of the lights vanished, although the absence didn't cause the blackness to envelop them. Left to her thoughts, Gatomon dropped her eyes as she hiccuped, her lips curled over her gritted teeth. As much as she could imagine his ghost watching over her as she slept, similar to when he used to do it when he was alive, it brought her no comfort to put her at ease.

"S-So," she choked out, struggling to fight back tears, "...it _was_ only memories I was dreaming of..."

He shook his head once. "Not exactly."

"How would _you_ know?!" she screamed, her fur bristling. "You couldn't read minds when you were alive, so what makes you think you can now that you're _dead_?!"

The tiniest of smiles lit up his eyes when he faced her. "It's normal to forget dreams when you wake up. But whether you remember them or not, they're part of your subconscious, your deepest desires." A faint chuckle sounded in his throat. "I have always envied that you could dream. I rarely dreamed when I was alive, but it's given me some comfort to know I'm to live on, albeit vicariously, in someone's dreams."

Trembling where she stood, Gatomon ducked her head as teardrops cascaded down her burning cheeks. It felt as if her heart ripped in two, then patched itself back together in those few seconds. She knew of no other who could cause such pain and relief with a single sentence, and could bring together joy and sadness better than Wizardmon. Even in death, he still had a profound affect on her.

"I-I... miss you," she whimpered, wanting to smile, but couldn't bring herself to. "I miss you, Wiz..."

She felt the Data's eyes on her, no longer caring that she was breaking down before him. Every sweep of his gaze was like cold water, a shock to the body, but it was cleansing. "I miss you, too, Gatomon," he quietly replied. "I have no regrets for what I did, but I wanted to see you again for a long, long time. Even if it was just for a moment such as this before I left..."

Gulping down more tears, Gatomon opened up her heart, her vision too blurred to properly look at him. "I miss everyone... e-especially Kari. Oh, God, I miss her... I just want to go back to what she and I have _always_ done so I'm not sitting around pining for her. It's selfish of me to think that way, s-so I never said anything. But I'm tired... and lonely... I just want to be with someone..."

Once her voice surrendered to her sobs, Wizardmon came forward to kneel before her, dropping his staff to cup her face and wipe the tears away with his thumbs. She snatched his hands for a squeeze once their foreheads touched, reveling in the warmth shared between them. Before she could stop herself, she shakily tugged his cowl down to run a claw along his lips, tracing each stitch and the scars they had left behind. She cast aside her gloves to properly feel them, not bothering to pull her paw away when he held it close to kiss her own wounds. Without hesitation, she stood on tiptoe to crush her lips to his, clutching his cloak when a hand steadied her by the neck.

It was new to her, a gesture she never did in her life, but it was perfect. Every brush was well-placed, every touch pleasurable, every breath dizzying in the good way. It was slow, passionate, and _real_.

"Don't go," she begged into him, her heart stinging with every beat. She didn't know why she had to break the moment to speak, not when she loved the way his mouth covered hers.

"I'm sorry, Gatomon," he whispered, mournful. Despite his apology, he didn't pull back, not even when her fangs skimmed flesh.

"I don't want it to end like this." The kiss was hardening, becoming more open-mouthed despite the twine.

"Then take control," he urged, bowing into her. "Take advantage of your dream."

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Gatomon pulled him down with her, sighing as she sank into the pillows and he knelt over her. Her paws raked up into his hair and knocked off his hat right as his hands trailed down her sides to lift her hips. Once he lowered to lay on her, her thigh rested against his ribs and her back arched from the closeness, her tail twitching at the slightest skim along it. Tilting her head away for a breath, she let out a whimper when he peppered along her cheek and jawline, her eyelids fluttering. Below her abdomen, an unfamiliar throb got her to squirm and squeeze her legs together.

"What am I feeling?" she breathed out, tightening her grip.

Scarcely flinching from her tugging his ponytail loose, the mage glanced up to meet her gaze, his fingers tracing small circles along her contours. "What are you _doing_?" he reworded the inquiry.

She blinked in near-astonishment, taking in his disheveled hair and the way he was shadowed from the moonlight. "I'm dreaming... right?"

He cocked his head to the side. "So how real is it to you?"

The question burrowed into her core, though she wasn't sure if she liked the connotations. "It's real because you're here with me, Wizardmon." She smiled, albeit crookedly. "You're not leaving me, are you?"

"Not like this."

Her brows furrowed, dropping her hands. "So what's wrong? Are we going too fast?"

Wizardmon let out a slow sigh, nuzzling against her temple. He remained quiet for a few moments, clearly in thought, which was making her impatient and a little upset she didn't know what was on his mind. "After all this time," he at last murmured, "you have needs, too."

Her ear flicked. "'Needs'?"

Gatomon surveyed how he nibbled his bottom lip once he lifted his head. "Have you had this kind of dream before?"

"With you?"

"With anyone."

"No, this is different. In fact..." She thought on it, glancing at their positions. "... _everything_ has been going differently. And I like it."

He fell back to overlook her, eyes nearly shielding in shadow. "What do you like about it?"

She sat up as well. "Something's wrong, isn't there?"

"Answer the question, Gatomon."

The tiny Champion shivered a little at his stern tone. "I've never felt anything like this before," she said, hesitant. "I know humans do something like this all the time, but I never really knew _why_. Then I think about Kari, and realize she's going to do it, too. And then I get... jealous."

"You do?"

Gatomon gave a single nod. "I want to be there for her, but she's going to find companionship someday." Her stare wavered in reminiscence of how she imagined her partner's dates to have gone, grasping lightly at her arm. "It's funny. Matt and Sora are together, but I don't think Biyomon and Gabumon feel any different. It's just... they don't have to put up with what the rest of us have to. Kari may end up with someone who doesn't understand Digimon, and that may mean I won't get to see her much."

Wizardmon's gaze became that of pity. "So why do you want to do this?" he softly asked. "How does this tie in to your worry?"

Although she shrugged, she still answered, "I guess I want to understand. I want to know Kari will be okay."

She looked back up when he caressed her cheek, sliding right beneath her whiskers. "Do you love Kari?"

The white feline nodded, leaning into his hold. "With all my heart."

"Do you love me?"

She blinked up at him. "Like how I love Kari? You're my best friend, Wizardmon—both of you are."

He shook his head, the shadows splitting across his face. "Do you _love_ me? Do you trust me?"

She took in a few shallow breaths, keeping her eyes locked with his. "I know you would never hurt me. You gave up everything for me, including a future together, to ensure I would be happy." She stood to cup his face, tracing out his cheekbone. "That's how I realized I loved you—I _do_ love you. That's why I put my trust in you right here. I trust you won't do anything to me that would hurt the both of us."

Wizardmon hung his head briefly, lips in a thin line. "I want you to give the word."

"Huh?"

"I want you to decide, Gatomon." Her breath caught at his irises, unable to recall when they were last a dark green. "This is _your_ dream, _your_ world. I don't have a say in what should happen between us."

Timidly and shakily, Gatomon's paws slipped down to the skull clasp, brows knitting in anxiety. "Why? I won't get mad at you."

"Neither will I." A twinkle gleamed in the depths. "I trust you, after all."

Continuing to struggle for breath, she popped the cowl off, and smoothed her hands across his collarbone to his shoulders. Beneath her touch, she felt his clothes fall away with the movement, almost as if they melted from the heat he (maybe she) emitted. Their mouths connected at that moment, hardening with every caress in disregard of the twine's rough texture. Her body became weightless and she fell backward into the pillow once more, bringing Wizardmon down with her. She moaned from skin contact, her paw daintily ghosting down to his shoulder blade when he leaned in closer.

"Gods, how this has plagued my subconscious," he murmured into her, pressing her in a way to make her gasp.

"Of us two?" she inquired, still breathless.

"Nothing more than fantasies," he sighed, running his fingers along her spine and effectively causing her to squirm. "But I was ashamed of them."

Her tongue unintentionally brushed his bottom lip, increasing her cravings for his full kisses. His response was to deepen it, coaxing her into a light oral waltz to work around his limitations and to toss about with him. If her gloves had still been on, she'd have shredded his back and down his torso from the way she kept scratching at him.

Finding herself sprawled on top, Gatomon moaned when he broke away to clamp to her neck, feeling his lips and teeth graze her. She snagged the pillow and dropped her forehead on his shoulder the moment he sucked skin, her mouth going dry. "W-Wizardmon!" she managed to gasp out, her mind going blank not a moment longer once his breath tickled her ear as he kissed it.

She was pinned beneath him again, his hair veiling over their faces. Shivering from the lack of body contact, her gaze wandered across his figure, taking in the stitches ringing around the shoulders, and his pale composure. Before she realized it, she was scanning further down, noticing for the first time he was fully naked before her.

Wizardmon traced his fingers down her frame to her thigh, skimming the inner edge. Gatomon gasped through her teeth and trembled at the touch, shooting him a pleading look. A bead of sweat rolling down his neck, he slid over for a feel, inducing a small mewl to pass her lips as she tossed her head back.

"Ahh... ah!"

Her leg and hips jerked from that single stroke, slapping a hand down to grab him. The elven mage took the opportunity to kiss her roughly on the throat, moaning along with her. Sitting up, she wildly nuzzled into his hair, his unoccupied arm bracing her by the small of her back.

"Give it to me," she demanded through her pants. "Give it to me, Wiz."

Unsticking himself from her, Wizardmon rolled onto his back so she straddled his torso. Pursing her lips, she peered down at him through half-lidded eyes, steadily arching as his hands traveled up her thighs to her chest where they kneaded. Her arms ballasted behind her, allowing her to run her paws along his midriff, which quivered under her touch. Taking in a breath, she swept them around to the front, tantalizing at first, and leaned forward to slide them to his shoulders.

The moment she grazed the stitches, her eyes drifted to her scars. Although the pain no longer came, her hands twitched as if the lashes cut across them at that moment, prompting her to feel him. The texture was like the stitches on his lips, yet they were thicker, more worn. Wizardmon closed his eyes when she brushed skin right next to the thread, tensing up.

Something deep inside her chest snapped at that moment. His flickering sent a shockwave up into her brain, leaving her in temporary paralysis that made her nauseous.

Dry sobs abruptly broke through before she could gasp, "No... this isn't right..."

Gatomon pulled her paws away to cover her face, vainly hiding herself from his empathetic gaze. She wished for her heart to stop when his hands lifted from her to gently caress her cheeks, triggering the tears to rain down. She still couldn't bring herself to look at him, feeling like she was suffocating from his touch alone.

"It... it's not real... I can't..."

She fell forward when he sat up to hold her, burying herself into his chest. "It's okay, Gatomon," he murmured, petting her. "It wasn't meant to be."

Her teeth clenching, Gatomon lightly pounded on him like he would break apart. "I-I don't understand why it bothers me!" she choked out, shaking her head. "Why?! What am I doing wrong?!"

A hum sounded in his throat. "Perhaps you're longing for company for the wrong reasons."

She brought herself to peer tearily up at the mage, surprised yet relieved to see him clothed. Their surroundings had also blanked out, leaving them in suspended darkness once more. "Am I being selfish?"

He stroked her ear, his expression crestfallen. "Somewhat. But it's okay to want to be with other people, if only to have someone to talk to. If you have physical needs you can't satiate on your own, reach out to someone you trust to let them know."

With hiccups catching in her throat, Gatomon hung her head to ponder. She thought back to Kari, knowing her cheerful complexion was her way of hiding her stress and anxiety. While it _was_ true she was always an optimist, as her partner, she was aware it went deeper than that, having occasionally lent an ear to her lamentations over the years. It had been a challenge for her to transition to adulthood without feeling she was losing a part of herself every day.

She couldn't be that sweet little girl gaily twirling about in her sundresses and eating ice cream anymore.

Feeling her tears drying up, but still too gloomy to smile, the tiny Champion leaned on him. "...Can you ever come back to me?" she whispered, neither hopeful nor dejected.

Wizardmon's hand froze at her nape. "I do not know," he softly answered. "However... I do not want to return because of intimacy. I want to return if it means becoming friends with you again. There's just no guarantee of that right now."

Gatomon's claws snagged into his coveralls, unable to shake off a shudder. "It's just so wrong..."

He resumed soothingly stroking her head, leaning closer to her ear. "I'm so sorry, Gatomon," he apologized for the umpteenth time. She inwardly hated how _sincere_ he was about it.

As the darkness steadily whited out and the light orbs floated into view, she hugged tighter like she thought it would keep him there longer. "I don't want you to leave..."

She sensed a small smile on his lips. "I know, Gatomon."

Her body began to grow heavy, feeling herself slipping from his hold even though she was clutching him with all her strength. Tilting her head back for a look, Gatomon found he was mere centimeters away from her, his shining eyes deeply and adoringly drinking her in. It was still hard to tell if the wavering in her vision was all him, or if she was indeed falling unconscious. Not yet ready to lose him, she requested the first thought that came to her.

"May... you give me a kiss? Just one... please."

His gaze softening, Wizardmon nodded. "As you wish."

She closed her eyes in expectation, a small gasp escaping her open mouth when his lips brushed her forehead, still holding her close. It may not have been what she had in mind, but her aching heart soared. His warmth was exactly how she wanted to remember it, his scent tickled her nose in just the right way, she wanted to fill her lungs with it.

...somehow, she could smell Kari with him.

She twitched, feeling her body warm up the more she stirred. Her paw slinked over smooth fabric and her hearing picked up a small, cooing sound. Deeply inhaling, her eyes fluttered open at the slim figure laying beside her, then tilted her head up to meet Kari's sleepy, yet content gaze.

She gently stroked the lavender tuft of her ear. "Sorry for waking you, Gatomon," she whispered, a chuckle on her lips. "You looked deep in sleep, so I was hoping to stealthily slip in the covers."

As the remnants of her sleep began wearing off, Gatomon slowly smiled, relaxing under her touch. "Welcome home, Kari."

Kari then canted her head, running her thumb down her cheek. "Are you alright? Did you have a bad dream?"

An ear flicked, feeling the back of her neck was tingling and her eyes were wet at the edges. Her paw slowly clenched as her tired mind tried to comprehend what she was talking about. "...I don't think it was bad," she muttered.

"You sure? So why were the pillows on the floor?"

She stared at them, and then looked over at the clock. It was after midnight, so everything was tranquil in the apartment and beyond the walls. "I think I scared the neighbors off," she admitted, sniffing.

Her partner let out a quiet sigh, still smiling. "So it wasn't about your dream?"

When Gatomon shifted, her thighs squeezed from a gentle skim to a sensitive area, although it was subtle enough that Kari didn't catch it. "It was good... I think."

"Do you know what it was about?"

Vaguely, she knew. She hadn't been alone in her dreams, there was a constant presence in the recesses of her memory. All that could come to mind, however, was a space filled with nothing but lights—moonlight, she thought. Although flowers _also_ came to mind, she just didn't know why their aroma stuck out more than the scent she was trying to place a name to.

Kari then pushed aside some fur on her neck, and giggled. "It looks like you were sleeping wrong, you got some marks on your skin there." Then she frowned the longer she stared at it. "Hold on... how'd you get this bruise?"

She reached up for a feel, suddenly wondering why her heart skipped at her words. "H-Huh?"

Her fingers then moved to her throat, her umber eyes lighting up. "And this one, too. Did you hurt yourself, Gatomon? What happened?"

Gatomon blinked up in confusion. "What do you mean? I didn't burn myself, if that's what you're asking."

Brows furrowing, Kari shook her head. "Um... no... Actually, now that I look at them..."

"What?"

The woman rubbed at an eye and sighed. "Maybe I'm imagining things," she mumbled. "I ended up drinking more than I had promised, so I kind of have a small headache right now..."

Gatomon groaned, still running her paw along her neck. "If it means anything, I'm just sore." She stretched as if to prove it. "I must've just slept wrong, as you said."

Kari hesitantly nodded, then crawled into the covers, opening an arm in invitation. The feline obliged, ear pressed to her chest to listen to her heartbeats as she gently combed through her fur. "Oh, before I forget, I have a date tomorrow night," she said. "I'll bring him over at the end so you can meet him, if you want."

The flash of a cloaked, shadowed figure in her mind's eye incited another flutter in her heart. Since she couldn't make out a face, but somehow was okay with it for the time being, Gatomon hummed in thought. "I'll sleep on it," was her lone reply, a smile playing on her lips.


End file.
